"Nothing bad ever happened," timeline. Enjoy.

X

It was with a bounce in her step that Penny exited the bullhead from Atlas. Her teammate Ciel Soleil, now permanently assigned as her partner and caretaker, simply gave her a rueful smile as the android breathed in the atmosphere of Beacon's airship hub.

They were here on vacation! Penny had been authorized to make the trip here so that she could enjoy Beacon's summer break with her friends. While the break was a month long her allowed vacation would only be two weeks, but that was more than enough time to catch up, as they say. Rolling her rather large suitcase of supplies, Penny brought out her scroll to send Ruby a message when-

"Penny!? How are you? I'm so happy to see you!"

Ruby Rose, now seventeen years old and physically taller, zipped over to her and gave her a tight hug. Penny happily returned it while being careful not to crush her. "I am ecstatic to see you as well, Ruby! And you, Yang! Are you surprised?"

Yang Xiao Long chuckled as she caught up to her little sister. "I'll say we are. If Ruby had known you were gonna be here, she never would've shut up about it. How've you been? You look pretty nice with long hair."

Penny thought so as well, having asked her father to add to it while he did routine maintenance. "I am well, thank you. I have been cleared for a two week vacation in Vale, so I am Summer Break ready!"

Ruby finally broke the hug, taking a step back while still smiling. "Well, in that case you can get right on this airship with us! We're headed to our home island of Patch to spend some time with dad."

It was only then that Penny really noticed that the sisters also had their suitcases, or rather that Yang had taken to carrying both of theirs. Before Penny could respond, Ciel stepped forward to announce smoothly, "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Patch is outside of the designated vacation area. We have been cleared for the city of Vale and Beacon, and while we can submit a form to adjust for the change, I do not know how soon we will get a response from the General."

Ruby's smile faltered just a little. "But, it should be allowed, right? Even if it's not today?"

"Indeed," answered Penny. "I shall send the message as soon as possible and I will let you know when to expect-"

She stopped to listen to the sounds from the airship as a speaker crackled an announcement. "I believe you need to be on that ship now, Ruby."

"Right! Call us, I can't wait to talk to you!" With that said, Ruby and Yang dashed off to make their flight. Penny happily waved goodbye to them, but she would admit in her heart that she was just a little bit annoyed at having missed them in such a way.

"Penny," chimed in Ciel. "Do you see why I suggested you tell them before we came over?"

"Yes, I do. But it will be okay!" She spun towards her companion with a smile and a shrug. "We still have our hotel accommodations set up, and I would like to explore Beacon and Vale before we go see them. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Do you need me to send that email to General-"

"Already done, a few seconds after you brought it up in conversation." The benefits to being an android were not to be understated, particularly while she was within range of any CCT. "I will explore Beacon before going into the city proper. What time would you like me at the hotel?"

"Check-in is not until 1600 hours, so you have a considerable amount of free time until then. Enjoy yourself, and of course, contact me if you have need." Ciel dismissed herself with that, rolling her own suitcases to the airship bound for the main city.

Penny contemplated flying over Beacon to get a bird's-eye view, but opted to walk on foot around the school grounds. Most of the students she passed were on their way to the airship hub, and she cordially waved as they all set off for their summer breaks. It was ten minutes after she began walking along the perimeter that she came across a peculiar sight.

Jaune Arc, leader of JNPR, was lying down on the grass and staring into the sky. She glanced up to see if there was anything particular there, but there was nothing besides clouds. "Hello, Jaune. What are you doing out here?"

"Hm?" He turned his head to look at her, smiling as she caught his eyes. "Oh hey, Penny! Long time no see!"

Indeed it was. She'd been unable to visit in person since the close of the Vytal Festival two years prior, although she had maintained contact with Ruby and her team. "How are you doing, Jaune? And if I may repeat the question, what are you doing?"

"I'm doing pretty well, thanks. As for the 'what', I'm just cloud watching right now."

"Cloud watching?" She briefly wondered if that was some type of euphemism. "I can understand the action, but I do not understand the appeal or purpose."

"I mean," Jaune answered with a shrug. "It's just something to do on a nice day with no schedule. Join me?"

He gestured to a patch of grass on his left, and she complied. Jaune kept talking as she stretched out her legs to match his relaxed posture. "Pyrrha went back to see her family, and Ren and Nora went into town. With no homework or missions, I'm just letting myself get lost in the view."

Now that was definitely a figure of speech. "What do you mean? I've never heard that phrase before."

"It's kinda hard to describe." He tilted his head a little as he continued staring up. "Let's try something and maybe you'll see what I mean."

"Certainly." She was always ready to learn!

"Alright, so for a moment I'm going to stop talking. Just let yourself hear the noise around us and see the sky."

Penny kept her vision pointed skyward as she obeyed. There was the chatter of students, the chirping of birds, the light (specifically eight miles an hour) wind across her synthetic skin. It was pleasant, she would admit. The clouds over their heads continued to shift eastward at no brisk pace.

Yes, this was quite nice.

"Now," he continued, "I want you to close your eyes and tune out the noise. When I say 'open', there should be one particular cloud directly over you. I want you to open your eyes and focus on that cloud. Okay?"

She closed her eyes and internalized the instructions, muting the audio signals she would consciously process until he said so. There was a budding anticipation as she awaited the command. What would happen?

Thirty seven seconds passed just like that. "Open."

Penny opened her eyes.

Weightless. That was the only word for what she felt as she gazed up at the cloud. There was nothing but herself and the puff of white overhead, and it seemed so close that she should be able to just reach out and touch it. Was it shaped like an ursa? Her left hand rose in an attempt to grasp it-

The feeling of her sleeve sliding down her arm brought her attention back to her placement. No, she realized, she was not floating in the sky, and her arm certainly wouldn't succeed in touching that pillow of concentrated water.

"Welcome back to Remnant. How was your flight?" Her gaze snapped to Jaune as he quipped, his sapphire eyes twinkling in amusement at her having been so absorbed in the sky. Had she truly been so struck by the impression that even her sophisticated electronics were tricked by how she was viewing it?

Fascinating. "That was sensational, Jaune, both literally and figuratively. Thank you."

"It's no problem at all."

They shared a chuckle, both returning their gaze to the world above as Penny's natural curiosity urged her to find out more. "Is there anything else you've found yourself getting 'lost' in, Jaune?"

"Usually other nice views. Blake gets so into certain books that she won't register someone talking to her, and-" He laughed a little. "My mom says she gets lost looking into dad's eyes all of the time."

"I see. Perhaps I shall discover something altogether new to get lost in, given that I am not restricted like most people are."

"Really? How so?"

She glanced at him. "Ruby hasn't told you about me?"

He returned the look with a raised eyebrow. "Nothing crazy, why? Did I miss something?"

She giggled as she stood up. "Well, it used to be a secret, but now it's not. I am Penny Polendina, an android created by my father Pietro to be the future of Atlas security!"

She emphasized her point by activating her rocket boots and hovering a foot high in the air, wiggling her legs to demonstrate that she had full control. Jaune finally sat up, a look of awe on his face. "That's awesome! I had no idea!"

Penny smiled at his uncontrolled glee. As she disengaged in order to land, she idly noted that his hair was now in a ponytail, evidently having grown out in his time at Beacon. "It was a state secret for some time, but I've been officially revealed to Atlas citizens and the world."

"Wow… I have a bunch of questions, but first I need to know: is there anything I have to be careful of? I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

"I appreciate your concern, but you should be able to treat me like you would any other friend, Jaune." She pointed at her own stomach. "I am waterproof, and now can even consume small quantities of food and beverages to experience the taste and avoid awkward situations while spending time with my friends. The only things I may not consume are carbonated beverages and mackerel."

"Mackerel?" Jaune tilted his head. "Just mackerel? Other fish are fine?"

"That is what Father told me. I confess that I am as confused as you appear to be, but he was quite insistent on the topic."

"Huh." Jaune scratched the back of his head. "Well, he's the scientist, I guess. So what are you up to today?"

"Nothing much anymore," she admitted. "I had planned on chatting with Ruby all day today, but she has returned to Patch to be with her father. I am currently awaiting an email from General Ironwood permitting me to join her."

"Well then, since we both have nothing to do," Jaune said while he stood up. "How about we go do 'nothing' together?"

Penny considered that one carefully. "Is it safe to assume that you are asking me on a date?"

"A date?" Jaune froze for a moment before he registered her words properly. "No, I mean, that's not what I meant! Uh, just to make sure we're on the same page, what's your definition of date?"

"Date, noun, an outing between two individuals for the purpose of enjoyment and reaching a better understanding of each other. Is it wrong?"

"It's right, but it's missing something. Dates usually have a-" He spun his hand in the air as he searched for the word. " Romantic implication. For example, if you say that Yang and Blake are dating, then that means they're girlfriends. If they were just going somewhere as friends, then you'd call it hanging out."

"Hm. I will make a note of that, thank you. While we are on the topic, are Yang and Blake dating? Is that why you used them as your example?"

He laughed. "They're both pretty clearly into each other, even my team can see it, but it seems like neither have pushed to make it official. So for now, they're just friends."

Perhaps she could speak with Yang while on Patch and ask for further clarification on the matter. Putting that thought on hold, she pumped her fists in excitement. "In that case, let us commence hanging out, Jaune! I am excited to see how Vale has changed since I last came!"

"Sure thing. Do you want to leave your suitcase in my dorm, or take it with us?"

"I suppose that would depend on the activities we might do."

Jaune cupped his chin as he thought about it. "Well, a new Herminator movie has come out, and I've been wanting to watch it. How about we start there and see how things go?"

"Then I shall leave my suitcase in your room. To the movies!"

X

Penny was beyond excited to see a movie with a friend. Ciel preferred books, which were great as well but did not make for a good shared experience. Jaune noticed her excitement as they stood in line for tickets and chuckled. "Do you get to watch many movies, Penny?"

"I have seen forty-seven movies at home with at least one movie from each genre. I quite enjoyed the Warring Stars series with its discussion of the Force and sometimes wonder what that would be like in our real world."

"Yeah, that's a pretty great franchise. I hear it's got a lot of games and books that expand on the universe. As for the Force, I mean, yeah it's pretty superhuman stuff, but isn't Aura like that, too?"

"It is, and yet it is not. A metaphysical construct that guides all living beings towards the future, making the known galaxy and everything in it connected by an unseeable network. Meanwhile Aura is an internal function, something we possess and can manipulate but doesn't connect us in the same way. I wonder how the creator came up with the idea of the former?"

"Who knows?"

With the tickets paid for, Jaune began to fill Penny in on the history of the Herminator franchise. "So in the second movie, we see another one of the same model robots come back in time, but he's been reprogrammed to be a good guy and protect Herah Donnor from the new models."

"Why would the A.I. not send the new models earlier in the past? Eliminate Herah Donnor's ancestors?"

"Because then we wouldn't have a good movie." Jaune stopped talking as he looked at the concession stand. "You said you can eat a little bit, right? Is there anything that you want?"

"I would like to try popcorn! I have heard it called a bucket of heavenly goodness-" Penny then saw the menu herself, bringing her to a halt. "-oh my circuits, why is it so expensive, Jaune?"

He shrugged. "Good ol' greed. We can share a large bucket so it won't feel so bad to spend."

After overspending on their snack, they were finally able to begin watching the movie. She was grateful that her excitement was mirrored by so many viewers in the theater, as it made getting immersed that much more enjoyable. The evil machine felt terrifying to consider, which further impressed her given that she was an android. The popcorn was nice, but she could feel the kernels getting stuck in her artificial teeth.

At one moment, however, she caught Jaune staring at her with a soft smile. Leaning over from her seat, she whispered, "Is there something on my face?"

He blinked once before coughing into his fist. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare like that. It's just that seeing you get so engrossed in stuff is… fun. It's charming."

"Charming?" She had been called that by her father before, but this felt different somehow. It made her happy, regardless. "Thank you. You are fun to be around, as well, but I believe we should stop talking and focus on the movie."

"Sounds good."

After the movie was done, the pair made their way back to Beacon to retrieve Penny's suitcase. They walked and talked animatedly, with Jaune not afraid to poke fun. "Tell me, Penny: when that evil machine came out from the blown warehouse with only skin damage, why did you pump your fist in the air?"

"I do not recall doing any such thing." Hic! Jaune raised an eyebrow at her, causing her to look away. "You cannot prove I did so."

"Penny Polendina," he dragged out her name teasingly. "Did you start connecting with both sides? Man, we're gonna have to tell the General that you cheered on the bad guy."

She looked at him alarmed. "Is it that much of a problem? Do I need to scrub my memory banks?"

The sheer panic in her voice caught him off guard. Had he messed up? "Penny, no, I was just joking with you."

"Oh no! I shall contact him immediately! I could even describe other issues I know of, like the transcripts I know about!"

"Wait what, Ruby told you-"

He stopped as he saw Penny's panic fade into a playful smirk. "Just teasing, Jaune."

"Ohhh you little-" He made a playful swipe at her shoulder, which she dodged quite easily. "Alright, you got me. How did you find out about my transcripts, though? I thought Ruby would've kept them a secret."

"She told me nothing. When I first arrived at Beacon, I accidentally performed a sweep of all of the teachers files when I connected to the network. I apologized to everyone, of course, but the General felt inclined to ask why Ozpin would knowingly allow a student with falsified records in. The Headmaster's response was, quote, 'I had a good feeling about him.'"

Jaune was silent for a moment as he processed that. "That kinda feels like a lie."

"The General concurred, but Ozpin would reveal nothing further so the issue was dropped. Fortunately, everything I have heard from Ruby indicates that you are doing quite well as the leader of JNPR, so you must be commended." She gently reached over and patted him on the shoulder. "Good job, my friend."

"Thanks, Penny. That means a lot to me."

Beep! Penny received an email from the server, and she read it quickly in her system. "My request to be allowed to visit Patch has been approved, effective tomorrow because of today's hotel already having been paid for. I will contact Ruby soon to let her know."

"Hey, that's awesome." He flashed her a smile. "I hope you have fun with her and Yang."

"I am certain I will." They were approaching the airship that would be returning them to Beacon, where they'd separate after she retrieved her luggage.

There was a part of her that did not want to separate. "Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"Given how close the island of Patch is, I should be able to visit Vale again before I return to Atlas without issue. If I do, would you like to hang out once more? I had a great time 'doing nothing' with you."

Jaune's sapphire eyes shined with joy. For some reason, this was enthralling to her. "That sounds really nice, Penny. I'll give you my scroll details."

Good. This was very good! Yes, there was a part of her that was most excited to see him again.

Why? How curious.